KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the introduction of the Safeguarding Officer role in Malaysian sports through the Safe Sport Code launched in March, segments of the sports community remain unaware of its significance.
As such, Safe Sport Malaysia (SSM) founding president Sarina Sundara Rajah has applauded Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh’s proactive initiative to extend the Safe Sport Code to the grassroots level.
Sarina, a former national rhythmic gymnast and long-time advocate for safe sports, said with this expansion, the code could cover more locations across the country, bringing coaches, administrators, teachers, parents, and young athletes under its protective umbrella.
She stresses the need for the Safe Sport Code to be a comprehensive guide, promoting zero tolerance for abuse while emphasising protection, the duty of care, and the obligation to speak out.
It also encourages a shift from bystander behaviour to intervention through situation-specific calibration, breaking down a culture of impunity with increased reporting and deterrence.
To ensure the success of this initiative, Sarina stresses two critical prerequisites.
“Firstly, the code must convey a clear message that there are consequences for abuse and misconduct, applicable to all members of the sporting community, including coaches, teachers, administrators, parents, spectators, athletes, and sponsors.
“Secondly, if the above is to happen, a mass campaign of awareness building, capacity development, training, immersion and messaging would need to be undertaken,” she told Scoop.
Sarina’s comments follow Hannah’s announcement on Friday on the extension of the Safe Sport Code to grassroots sports, aiming to ensure a secure sporting environment for all participants and parents.
The code targets the elimination of aggressive behaviour towards referees and opposing teams.
Drawing from her recent experience as a Safeguarding Officer for an international sports event, Sarina notes a significant lack of awareness about the Safe Sport Code among officials, coaches, and players.
“I was appointed as Safeguarding Officer for a recent International Sports event, and the questions I got ranged from the basic… what is a Safeguarding Officer? To the more esoteric… Are you a bouncer? Are you a spy? Are you an anti-doping investigator?
“These were from ranking officials whose job is to more than know about the code and its implications.”
She also stresses the importance of building awareness up and down the organisational chain and establishing the capability to effectively investigate and address violations.
“As we socialise the code to the grassroots, we must make sure that up and down the chain, there will need to be a massive awareness and training exercise, and the capability to investigate and act on the violations of the code.
“Unless this machinery is simultaneously built up and starts to function effectively, the code will not have the impact that is intended,” she added. – December 17, 2023